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The Worms of Euston Square by William Sutton (view source)
Revision as of 09:46, 10 October 2020
, 09:46, 10 October 2020no edit summary
{{infoboxsortinfobox1
|title=The Worms of Euston Square
|sort=Worms of Euston Square
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=362
|publisher=Mercat Press
|date=21 Aug August 2006
|isbn=184183100X
|amazonukcover=<amazonuk>184183100X</amazonuk>|amazonusaznuk=184183100X|aznus=<amazonus>184183100X</amazonus>
}}
It's London in the early 1860's. Time of Queen Victoria, Gladstone and Disraeli, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. It's the height of Victorian Britain, more than 10 years after the (mainly continental) upheavals of 1848's Spring of Nations and the 1851's Great Exhibition which had paved more ways for the Empire to grow in strength.
PS. To find out what (or who) The Worms actually are, you need to read the book!
If this book appeals then you might enjoy [[Stone's Fall by Iain Pears]].
{{toptentext|list=Top Ten Books About London}}
{{amazontext|amazon=184183100X}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=184183100X}}
{{commenthead}}
|name=Jill
|verb=said
|comment= I reckon Conor would like this - would you put it a level I'd enjoy on a train journey and a bookworm 11 year old would think was great? That's the flavour I'm getting. We like books like that in our house - it feels like a BOGOF!
}}
{{comment
|name=Magda
|verb=replied
|comment= I don't know, really...there is a lot of rather lofty musings of revolutionary/reformist nature which perhaps might go over the head of an even very bookish 11 year old. Plus many of the allusions (for example 'if it goes like that one day we'll be ruled by some grocer's daughter' ) will probably go over his head.
The horrible bits (a bit of the book and the final showdown take part in the sewers) are described in an acceptable manner, factual rather than TOO evocative.
To be honest I don't remember myself well from that age, though remember reading Hugo's The Notre Dame of Paris at about 12 (and never again afterwards) and I still sometimes remember poor Esmeralda buried alive in that horrible cell with shivers.
}}
{{comment
|name=Jill
|verb=said
|comment= Yep, that sounds ideal. We WANT the shivery experiences we'll remember when we're older, and we don't really mind if parts go over our heads. Conor and I are peas in a pod. I was exactly like that.
}}
{{comment
|name=Magda
|verb=replied
|comment=OK. Though I warned you (but then I might be overtly concerned as I developed a true obsessive-compulsive thoughts episode at the age of about 10 from reading a - grown up but perfectly understandable - short story about slaves working in ancient Greek mines...).
Considering that a major part is played by a gang of very clever street/sewer children (spoiler here?) it might be OK.
}}